The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-11-11
NO. p.

I
so high that you can not reach it. He who
starts out in life with a high ideal Of
| character, and faith in its attainment, will
find himself incased from a thousand
| temptations.
There are magnificent possibilities be-
fore each of you young men of the stout
heart and the buoyant step and the
| bounding spirit. 1 would marshal you
| for grand achievement. God now pro-
vides for you the fleet and the armOr and
the Notifications; who is on tn e Lords
side?
The captain Of the zouaves in ancient
times, to encourage them against tho i'm
| mense odds on the side Of their enemies,
said: "Come, my men, look these fellows
| in the face. They are six thou
sand; you are three hundred.
Surely the match is even" That speech
gave them the victory. Be not, my hearer,
dismayed at any time by what seems an
| fortune, is want of education, are
men, are devils against your Though
| the multitudes of earth and hell confront
/ you, stand up to the charge. With a
| million against you, the match is just
| even. Nay, you have a decided advan-
| tage. If God be for us, who can be
against us? Thus protected, you need not
spend much time in answering your as
sailants.
Many years ago word came to me that
| two impostors, as temperance lecturers,
| had been speaking in Ohio in various
places, and giving their experiences; and
they told their audience that they had
| long been intimate with me, and had be-
| come drunkards by dining at my table,
where l always had liquors of all sorts.
Indignant to the last degree, I went down
to Patrick Campbell, chief of Brooklyn
| police, saying was going to start that
| night for Ohio to have these villains ar
| rested, and I wanted him TO tell me how
| to make an arrest. He smiled and said:
"Do not waste your time by chasing these
| men. Go home and do your work and
| they can do you no harm" took his
counsel, and all well. Long ago
/ made up my mind that If one will put his
| trust in God, and be faithful to duty, he
| need not fear any evil. Have God on
| your side, young man, and all the com-
| bined forces on earth and hell can do you
| no damage.
And this leads mo to say that the
mightiest Of all defense for young man
| is the possession Of thorough religious
| principle. Nothing can take the place OF
| it. He may have manners that would put
| to shame the graccfulness and courtesy
of a Lord Chesterfield. Foreign language
may drop from his tongue. He may be
able TO discuss literature, and laws, and
foreign customs. He may wield pen of
/ unequaled polish and power His quick
ness and tact may qualify him for the
| highest salary Of the countin g-hOuse. He
| may be as sharp as Herod and as strong as
! Samson, with as fine locks as those which
hung AbsaIom, still he is not safe from
| contaminations. The more elegant his
manner, and the more fascinating his
| dress, the more peril. Satan does not care
much for the allegiance of a coward and
| an ilIiterate being. He can bring him into
| efficient service. But he loves TO storm
/ that castle Of character which has in it
/ the most spoiIs and treasures. It was not
/ some crazy craft creeping along the coast
| with valueIess cargo that the pirate at
/ tackled, but the ship, full-winged and
1 tagged, plying between great ports, car
| rying It's million of specie.
The more your natural and acquired ac-
compIishments the more need Of the re-
| ligiOn of Jesus. That does not cut in up
on or hack up any smOothness Of disposi-
tion or behavior. 1t gives symmetry. II
arrests that in the soul which ought to be
arrested, and propeIs that which ought TO
be propelled. It fills up the gulleys. II
elevates and transforms. To beauty IL
gives more beauty, to tact more sact, to
enthusiasm of nature more enthusiasm.
When the Holy Spirit impresses the image
of God on the heart He does not spoil the
canvas. If in all the mutitudes
of young men upon whom religion
| has acted you could find ono ma
/ ture that had been the least dam
aged / would yield this proposition. You
may now have enough strength of chnrac
| ter to repel the various temptations to
gross wickedness which assail you, but
| do not know in what strait you may be
| thrust at some future time. Nothing
short Of the grace of the cross may then be
| able to deliver you from the lions. You
| are not meeker than Moses, nor holier
than David, nor more patient than Job,
20 4
valuable You may have some weak point
! of character that you have not discovered,
| and in some hour whom you are assaulted
| the Philistne will be upon thee, Samson.
Trust not in your good habits, or your
| earlH training, or your pride Of character;
nothing short of the arm Of the Almighty
| God viii be sufficient to uphold you. You
| look forward TO the world sometimes with
| chilling dependency. Cheer upi /
/ will tell you how you may make a fortunes
| Seek first the kingdom Of God and His right
| eousness, and all other things will be added
unto you.
know you do not want to be mean in
this matter Give God the freshness Of
your life. You will not have the heart
/ to drink down the brimming cup Of
life and then pour out the drogs on Gods
altar. To a Saviour so infinitely gen.
| erous you have not the heart TO act like
| that. That is not brave, that is not hon.
want in all the world is a new heart. In
Gods name I tell you that And the
Blessed Spirit presses through the solem-
| mites and privileges Of this holy hour
| Put the cup Of life eternal TO your thirsty
| lips. Thrust IL not back. Mercy offers e,
| bleeding mercy, long-sulferng mercy.
| Reject all other friendships, be ungrateful
for all other kindness, prove recreant 30
all other bargains, but despise Gods love
/ for your immortal soul--don'b you do that
i would like 70 see some Of You this
! hour press out Of the ranks Of the world
and lay your conquered spirit at tho feet
| Of Jesus. This hour rs no wandering
vagabond staggering over the earth, IL Is
| a winged messenger Of the skies whisper
| ing mercy TO thy soul. Lifo rs smooth
now, but after awhile il may be rough,
| wild and precipitous There comes a
| crisis in the history Of every man. We
seldom understand that turning point
until 10 Is far past.
The road Of life is forked, and / read on
| two sign-boards: ''This is the way 10 hap
! piness," "This is the way to ruin" How
are we 10 pass the forks Of the road with
out thinking whether it comes out at tho
door Of bliss or the gates Of darkness?
Many years ago 1 stood on the anniVer-
sary platform with a minister Of Christ,
| who made this remarkable statment:
Thirty years ago two young men
started out in the evening to attond Park
Tbeater, New York, whore "a play was 70
| be acted in which tine cause Of religion
was 70 be placed in "A riduculou5 and
! hypocritical light. They came 20 the
| steps. The consciencas Of both smote
! them. One started 20 go home, but re-
turned again % the door and yet had not
courage 20 enter, and finally departed.
| But the other young man entered
| the pit of the thenter. IL was
the turning point I'm the his.
/ tory Of those two young men. The man